Vanity case and analogous article



Au 13, 1935; p, H ZELL 2, )10,9o9

VANITY CASE AND ANALOGOUS ARTCLE Filed June 25, l934 Jzi S* AT NEYPatented Aug. 13, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VANITY CASE ANDANALOGOUS` ARTICLE David H. Zell, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application June 25, 1934, Serial No. '732,213

' Clams. (01.132-83) This invention relates' to Vanity cases andanalogous articles, and has for its general object and purpose toprovide an article of this character, of novel and durable construction,which will be convenient and serviceable in practical use.

A more particular object is to provide an improved construction of thecase body, having means cooperating with parts of a cosmetic holdg trayto quickly, accurately and securely position said tray in properlyassembled relation with the case body.

Another object is to provide a door or closure for the open side of thecase body, hingedly mounted on one end of the tray, and a simple andefficient device mounted in the opposite end of the case body forreleasably latching the door in its closed position.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of atransversely extending Compartment at one end of the case body toreceive a lip stick holder having one of its ends shaped to conform tothe contour of the case, and means coacting with said holder to preventcasual outward movement thereof through the open end of the inventionconsists in the improved vanity case or analogous article and in theform, construction and relative arrangement of its several parts, aswill hereinafter be more fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawing and subsequently incorporated in the subjoinedclaims.

In the drawing wherein I have illustrated one simple and practicalembodiment of my present improvements, and`n which -similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view, illustrating a preferred form of thedevice and showing the case open.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, certain parts being shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Fi 1.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 5--6 of Fig. 2, v V

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 'I-'I ofFig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the door latch member.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the body of the case includes asheet metal plate forming the rear or bottom wall 5 and oppositelongitudinal edge walls 6 of V-shaped cross-sectional form. 'I'he freeupper edges of the latter walls are horizontally extended inwardly andthen turned outwardly, as at l, and tightly clinched upon the es of a.sheet of decorative material 8 which covers the outer sui-faces of saidbottom and edge walls.

The end members 9 of the case body are also of V-shaped cross-sectionalform. Each of these end members has opposite end portions of triangula'shape and at the open side of said member the walls thereof arehorizontally extended, as at o, to telescopically receive one end of thebottom and edge walls 5 and 6 of the case body. The end members may bewelded or mechanically secured to said body walls in any approvedmanner. Adjacent one end of the bottom 'wall 5 lugs Il are struckupwardly therefrom, and similar lugs |2 are provided near the oppositeend of said wall but preferably disposed at right angles to the lugs ll.Additional lugs !3 are provided adjacent to the side edges of saidbottom wall. These lugs serve to properly position and hold a cosmeticcontaining tray within the case body.

The tray includes a bottom section |4 and a top section !5 ofdish-shaped form, hinged to the bottom section at one side thereof, asat !6. The side walls of the tray section |4 are outwardly offset toprovide upstanding flanges l'l, which yield upon inserticn of the trayand snap under the edges 1 of the walls 8 of the case body, as clearlyshown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing.

One end wall of the tray section !4 is also outwardly ofiset andprovided at its upper edge with a laterally projecting flange |8 whichunderlies the upper edge portion n of one of the end members 9. In thismanner the tray is securely held in its assembled position againstshifting movement with respect to the case body.

One side wall of the tray section |4 is provided with an opening toaccommodate a spring held latch member !9 which coacts with a fiange 20*on the tray' section |5 to hold the latter in closed supe'posedrelation to the tray section M. The main tray section !4 is adapted tocontain face powder while the section |5 may contain rouge and othercosmetics.

Upon one end of the tray section !4 the door or closure member 2| ismounted by means of a spring hinge of conventional form, indicated at22. This door is provided on its inner side with the usual mirror 23,and at its free end the door frame isformed with an apertured lug 24.Move- ,ment of the door to open position under the action of the springhinge is limited by abutting contact of the door with the edge o of oneof the ends 9 of the case body. When closed, the outer surface of thedoor is fiush with the surfaces of the'parts 'I and o of the case body.

The door is securely held in its closed position by the novel latchingdevice shown in Figs. 7 an d 8 of the drawing. Referring thereto, itwill be seen that this device consists of a strip of spring steel 25,having a central bowed section 26 provided with an upstanding keeper 21.This keeperlas a laterally oflset lip 28 struck therefrom. The strip 25near its opposite ends is twisted to provide the finger pieces 29disposed at right angles to the remaining portion of the strip, andprojecting outwardly through openings 30 in the end walls of one of themembers 9. As shown in Fig. 4 the bowed section of the strip 25 extendsunder the ofis'et end wall of the tray section |4 and the keeper 21projects upwardly throughthe opening 3l therein.

When the door Zi is closed the lug 24 enters between the upwardlyextending offset part of the end wall .of tray section |4 and the keeper21, striking the lip 28 of the latter and displacing the keeper againstthe resistance of the spring strip 25. When the door is fully closed thekeeper returns to normal position and lip 28 thereof enters the apertureof lug 24 to closely coact with the lower edge of said aperture.Accidental pressure against either one of the finger pieces is ineectiveto operate the latch and release the door, as the latch strip wouldmerely be shifted bodily in the direction of its length. It is necessaryto simultaneously press both finger pieces inwardly. This causes thebowed central section of the latch strip to yield, thus laterallydisplacing the keeper 21 from its normal position to disengage the lip28 from lug 24. Thereupon the spring hinge 22 moves the door to its openposition. It will be seen that there is no positive connection of anykind between the latch device and the case body thus simplifyingassemblage of the parts. Also the latch .Operating means isinconspicuous and has. a minimum projection from. the body walls of thecase so that the ornamental symmetry of the latter is not seriouslyaifected,

ly seen in Fig. 2 of the drawing. One end of the holder is formed withan enlarged head having a surface contour corresponding to the oppositeend of the member 9. The adjacent end of the body plate forming the wall5 is provided with an .upstanding flange, as at 33., said flange beinglongitudinally split and having its upper portion formed into a spring34 for frictional hearing contact against the holder 32 to preventcasual outward displacement thereof with respect to the member 9. Thusthe symmetrical contour of the case is preserved while the lip stick iseasily acce'ssible for use when desired.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing, the construction and several advantages of myimproved vanity case' will be readily understood.

The various parts thereof are of simple form and may be produced andassembled at comparetively small cost. The facing sheet 8 for the casebody may be of celluloid, leather or other suitable material, and, ifdesired, the door 21 may be provided with a similar facing sheet.Insofar as the novel mechanical features of my present invention areconcerned it will be understood that the cross sectional shape orcontour of the case body may be Varied as desired, Also the 10 detailfeatures of the present disclosure are susceptible of more or lessmodification or change, and I therefore reserve the privilege ofresorting to all such legitimate alternative structural variationsthereof as may be fairly considered 15 within the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A case of the character described comprisng a body open on one side,a container, said body having spaced means adapted to coact with thecontainer wheniinserted through the open side of the case to positionsaid container relative to the body, walls, and said container includingyieldable marginal walls underlying certain of 25 the case body walls atthe edges thereof.

2. A case of the character described comprisng a body open on one side,a container, said body having a bottom wall provided with spacedupwardly projecting lugs to coact with the con- 30 tainer when insertedthrough the open side of the case to position said container relative tothe body walls, and said container including yieldable marginal wallsunderlying certain of the case body walls at the edges thereof. 35 3. Acase of the character described comprisng a body open on one side, acontainer, said body having spaced means adapted to coact with thecontainer when inserted -through the open side of the case to positionsaid container rela- 40 tive to the body walls, and said containerincluding longitudinal side walls, outwardly offset to provideupstanding yieldable flanges, adapted to be inwardly compressed uponinsertion of the container and resuming a normal position in 4underlying relation to opposite edges of the case body walls.

4. In a case of the character described, a sheet metal member embodyingthe bottom and opposite longitudinal side walls of the case, separatehollow sheet metal end members having edge portions telescoped upon andsecured to the ends of said bottom and side walls, corresponding edgesof said side walls and end members defining an opening through one sideof the case, 55 and the case structure having spaced integral partsthereof adapted to coact with exterior surfaces of a container insertedwithin the case through said opening, to position the container thereinand hold the same against shifting moveeo ment relative to the casewalls.

5. In a case of the character described, a sheet metal member embodyingthe bottom and opposite longitudinal side walls of the case, separatehollow sheet metal end members having edge 65 portions telescoped uponand secured to the ends of said bottom and side walls, one of saidlatter members having an opening through one end thereof, a, lip stickholder insertable through said opening and having a head at one of itsends corresponding in contour with the opposite end of said member, andyieldable means to engage and releasably retain the lip stick holderwithin said 'end member.

6. In a case of the character described, a sheet l metal memberembodying-bottom and opposite longitudinal side walis of the case,separate hollow sheet metal end members having edge portions telescopedupon and Secured to the ends of said bottom and side walls, one of saidlatter members having an opening through one end thereof, a lip stickholder insertable through said opening and having a head at one of itsends corresponding in contour with the opposite end of said member, saidbottom wall of the case having an upstanding fiange at one end thereof,said fiange being longitudinally split and the upper portion thereofformed to provide a spring yieldably engaging the lip stick holder toreleasably retain the same within said end member.

7. A case of the character described comprising a body having arectangular opening in cne side thereof, a container insertable. throughsaid open side of the case body, and said container and the case bodyhaving cooperating means including parts longitudinally co-extensivewith the body opening and automatically coacting upon insertion of thecontainer to retain the container in a definitely fixed positionrelative to the walls of the case body.

8. A case of the character described comprising a body open on one side,a container insertable through said open side of the case body, meansprojecting from one wall of the case body to position the containertherein against longitudinal or transverse movement, and said containerhaving means automatically coacting with the body walls ,of the case atthe open side thereof, upon insertion of said container, to preventoutward displacement of the container through the open side of the casebody.

9. A case of the character described comprising a body having arectangular opening in one side thereof, a container having marginameans longitudinally co-extensive with the container and integral withthe container structure, coacting with the wall of the case body alongopposite side edges of said opening upon insertion of the containertherein to prevent outward displacement of the container through theopen side of the case body.

10. A case of the character described comprising a body having arectangular opening in one side thereof, a container having marginalmeans, integral with the container structure, coacting with the wall ofthe case body along opposite side edges of said opening upon insertionof the container therein to prevent outward displacement of thecontainer through the open side of the case body, and means fixed withrelation *to the case body, engaging external surfaces of the containerwalls, to position said container against longitudinal or transversemovement relative to the case body.

11. A case of the character described comprising a body having arectangular opening in one side wall thereof, a container insertablethrough said opening, said side wall of the casing at opposite edges ofthe opening, and corresponding marginal walls of the container havingcoacting parts,

longitudinally co-extensive with said edges of the 9 opening, to preventoutward displacement of the container therethrough.

DAVID H. ZELL.

